Flight paths in secondary are nonsense and demotivating for pupils SAY OFSTED

if it’s something I have enough info to form an opinion on

The the whole nature of 'professional judgement' over 'onerous data collection' is that there is less information made available to work with. As a pp said, it is 'not easily reportable assessment'.

Yes, but Pig within the media teachers are quite happy to critique the assessments they find onerous. Less likely to criticise each other's professional judgement. I'm far happier with forms of assessing which are open to criticism and scrutiny than those which are seen as representative of the integrity of a whole profession and thus likely to be only defended by those belonging to that profession.

You’re told that the teacher made them up in a couple of seconds : this is where we diverge , noble. I am not allowed to do that. Our data is robust ly made up by the data guy based on inaccurately marked and moderated half termly benchmarking asessments.

Yes, and you put them right, presumably, noble.

Would you do the same if a parent was question a teacher's professional judgement?

After 20 years I can tell you what grade your child is going to get. I teach English and am rarely wrong in my estimates. Sad thing is these are often not what a pupil is predicted whether higher or lower.

The flight paths lead to further inaccuracies and leads to teachers to making up grades to ensure that they look like they are doing their jobs properly and pupils are reaching target.

No, I meant occult as in hidden. For initiates only.

noble, we do know because teachers are hardly shrinking violets about the subject. But at least when they are complaining we get some dialogue. Which gives away more information than allowing teachers to report purely according to their professional judgement.

You mean cult surely???

Pseudo GCSE grades are hunches. Really, you are comparing apples and apples.

Yes, but they don't pretend to be anything else. They're clearly stated openly with their limitations obvious for all to see.

Unlike the practically mythical occult status seemingly attached to professional teacher judgement...

For pity's sake.

You have no idea AT ALL whether I, or anyone in my family , has any complex health needs cool.

Sorry, just a hunch. Not very nice when people offer judgements based on hunches is it?

Pseudo GCSE grades are hunches. Really, you are comparing apples and apples.

professional indicates expertise.

It also indicates standards, accountability and transparency.

You have no idea AT ALL whether I, or anyone in my family , has any complex health needs cool. No. Idea.

You don't sound very trusting cool.

Judgement and hunches are very different words and professional indicates expertise.

Just not easily reportable assessment

Well, that says it all really...sound quite opaque to me. I'd take flawed but transparent over giving mystical status to anyone's professional 'hunches'. The latter is to open to abuse.

All I need to know I'd my child is ok at school are answers to a) are they happy at school and b) are they putting in their best effort. If yes to both then it's fine.

TheFallen, yes but it's collective professional judgement which is openly admitted to have its flaws and limitations. Far better than applying some mystical occult status to professional judgement.

I say that is all. My professional judgement is not a guess. It is based on assessment, in fact. Just not easily reportable assessment. I am well aware that there is variation in the quality of professional judgement. I think poor judgement is exacerbated by poor reporting practice.

I don't know what's right or wrong. I know that DD2's maths teacher got some thought-provoking information about DD2 using a GCSE Foundation paper.

In her parents evening consultation, he asked DD2 how she thought she was doing in maths. She said she thinks she struggles. He said 'I would agree with you, but you always do your best with a good attitude.' He went on to say that if he 'pegged' DD2, in classes, he would peg her towards the bottom of the middle ability kids in his class. But he set a true Foundation Maths GCSE paper, and he was surprised.

When everything was taken away, when she couldn't say "I don't know how..." or ask for help, DD2 actually scored in the top quarter in her class, with only 5 people ahead of her. Bearing in mind that some of the content of the paper hadn't been taught, she did really well.

So her teacher did get some useful information, and it was helpful to me, because I know that DD2 is more able than she appears, but has difficulties that make her seem less able.

In the example you describe, the staff really are "just" using professional judgement. That is the only way they can be coming up with a GCSE grade for a year 7. It might be a department's collective professional judgement, but that is all it is. Unless they are using GCSE papers with year 7, which would be a pretty unprofessional choice, IMO.